Emma Freeman's travel blog about cruises

Christmas Day 2017

Monday 25th December 2017 Christmas Day

Do white horses count towards a white Christmas? It’s the closest we’re going to get when it’s 17 degrees in the shade and glorious sunshine. Mind you, white horses are pretty tame as regards possible weather options, even if they are the roughest seas we’ve had so far on this trip!

Didn’t sleep very well, but had a lie-in instead. Lovely long soak in the shower. Pressure a bit dodgy but temperature good, so this boiler might just last us out, after all. Met Ben and the parents for late breakfast/fruit/ lunch. As dinner tonight starts at 5.30 tonight (don’t ask me why – no idea – it’s a formal/gala dinner, but there aren’t THAT many courses!), no one ate much! When Ben left, we swapped our presents. I got a lovely silver bracelet and a unicorn pen and a fair amount of chocolate in various shapes, sizes and flavours, and the parents seemed very happy with their gifts, although dad did complain about the added weight for the suitcases! Then mum went to the hairdresser and Dad and I did admin chores at Reception, before we all went back to the cabins for a siesta. I slept like a log. Woke at 5.10pm and thought “Oh, got an hour yet”, and turned over to go back to sleep. Then, about thirty seconds later, it dawned on me that dinner tonight is at 5.30, not 6.30. Spiffing. Wore the mauve dress that makes me feel like a princess (Thank you, Wendy!). Couldn’t eat much food, but the turkey with all the trimmings was quite tasty.

Then back to the parents’ cabin to plan tomorrow. I made a list of words we need to know in Portuguese (watch battery for Ben, gluten free for me, hearing aid battery for dad).

Weather forecast for tomorrow: 18 in the shade, so mid-twenties plus in the sun. Shorts weather possibly?